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Description/Abstract

SIR—With an increasing proportion of the population surviving into old age, it is important that as many people as possible are enabled to maintain their health and independence. Assistive devices, a term that encompasses all products which ‘compensate, relieve or neutralise’ a person's impairments [1, p80], are known to improve independence. The actual number who could benefit from any particular device is difficult to determine, but the proportion increases with age. However, the degree to which elders become aware of assistive devices and their benefits, how they feel such devices fit with their lifestyle and image, and how ready they are to acquire and use them is not well known.